The other day I was listening to Between The Covers, the book show, on CBC Radio. They had a fascinating interview on with British playwright David Hare, author of The Hours and Plenty. One of the things he talked about was how he loved Chekhov’s earlier plays, much more so than his more famous later plays, because the earlier works… Read More

I recently found this charming Etsy shop, perfect for any book lover: Jane Mount’s Ideal Bookshelf. She’s an artist who sells prints, cards, and wrapping paper featuring Ideal Bookshelves – she picks a theme, say fantasy or cooking or kids, and selects titles she thinks would make up an ideal bookshelf for that theme, then draws it out in a… Read More

My son is 13, and the other day he told me that he needs a hobby. A hobby that doesn’t involve watching endless hours of people playing Minecraft on YouTube, or hours of watching comedic music videos on YouTube, or hours of watching slapstick movies on YouTube. “You need to find something to create,” I said. The older I get… Read More

Every year, Geist Magazine (which is awesome, and you should order it immediately) runs a postcard contest. You have 500 words to write a story about a postcard you find (images of just about anything you find online are fine, too). This year’s contest is now open, with a due date of February 1. 500 words isn’t too much. You… Read More

Everything I read that talks about how to become a better writer suggests getting into a writers’ group. Get yourself a great circle of similar writers, good people who will read your stuff and give you feedback, who will share ideas about writing, who will learn along with you, side by side. I always read that and think to myself,… Read More

I’ve always been interested in writing, but saying “I’m a writer” feels like such a bold, daring thing to do – such a big step forward. I had a lot of trouble advertising myself as a writer. Writing is a hobby. Something you do apologetically, unless you’re Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. I used to think that you couldn’t call… Read More